Jupiter's Angel
by Jupiter Sprite
Summary: I suppose I should put a slight spoiler warning on this? Love alone cannot perform miracles. Trust alone cannot perform miracles. But the two together can do that and more. Windshipping COMPLETE!
1. Nightmare

It's me!!! I've been completely uninspired and virtually dead for long enough that I felt like I had to write something. This idea's been accumulating in my brain for a while, but now I finally have time to write it. 

Ivan: *Ahem* Well, there are things called 'finals' coming up... 

Finals? What ever are those? I'm sorry, Ivan, but you've lost me. ^^ 

Disclaimer: Own Golden Sun, the authoress does not. Belonging to Nintendo and Camelot, Golden Sun is. 

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She stumbled through the darkness, searching. Where was he? Panic gripped her as her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden lack of light. Slowly she made out his form, sprawled limply on the ground. She dropped to her knees and shook him. No response. She whispered his name, and shook him harder. Blood from a cut on his shoulder was seeping into her robes, but she didn't care. She called him louder, fighting the dull pain that was creeping into her heart... 

"IVAN!" 

Sheba sat bolt upright in bed, soaked in a cold sweat and gasping for breath. Her violet eyes, wide with terror, darted around the room for a few moments before she remembered where she was. Vault inn. Second floor, third room on the right. 

She pulled herself out of bed with a deep, shaky breath. Glancing in the mirror, she realized there were tears on her cheeks. 

Sheba paced around the small room, absently running her fingers through her hair. They were almost immediately caught in a tangle. She glanced back at her bed. The sheets were twisted and wrinkled, and one of her blankets had been thrown off completely. Had she really been that restless during the night? 

A soft knock sounded at the door, pulling Sheba from her thoughts. "Just a minute!" she called. Rushing to the bed, she threw the offending blanket back on, and scrubbed her eyes on a corner of her pillow. She returned to the mirror. Her eyes were still a bit red and puffy, but it would have to do. Gathering her composure, she pulled the door open, and was met with Mia's worried eyes. 

Silently Sheba cursed her luck. Aside from Ivan, Mia was the likeliest person to sense that something was wrong. 

"Good morning." Sheba pasted a pleasant look on her face. She could tell Mia wasn't fooled. She watched as her aqua eyes moved slowly around the room and back to Sheba's face. 

"I... heard you yell." Mia spoke quietly, as if afraid she might break Sheba in her fragile state. 

Sheba winced. Was she really that loud? 

Mia seemed to read her thoughts. "No one else was awake except Ivan, and he's on the roof." Sometimes Sheba swore Mia was the Jupiter Adept, not her. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" 

"I just... had a bad dream... that's all." That's all, she repeated to herself. It wasn't a premonition. It just couldn't be. 

Mia gave one last attempt. "There's nothing... that you want to talk about?" 

Sheba felt like crying. Mia had no idea how much she wanted to talk! But she couldn't burden the others with this, at least not yet - she needed to find Ivan. "No, I'm fine, really..." 

Finally, Mia seemed to give up. She withdrew slightly from the doorway. "Okay... I guess I'll see you later then." Her eyes were still questioning. 

"Yeah... see you later." Sheba slowly closed the door. She hoped she hadn't seemed rude. Her thoughts tumbling around her head, she made her way to the dresser and ran her brush through her hair. It was just Ivan... she didn't know why she cared how she looked. But today she did. 

She made a more thorough attempt to wipe her eyes. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she made her way out of the inn, nodding to the innkeeper as she passed through the front room and out the door. Sheba found the ladder, and climbed up. The wind swirled around her as she skirted the entrance to the inn's small attic and found footing on the roof. 

Now she saw Ivan, sitting cross-legged on the roof, eyes closed. He looked up at her as she approached, and smiled. She found herself smiling back; already she felt a little better. Being near him always seemed to cheer her up. 

She sat down next to him, letting the wind calm her. It seemed to be excited to have two Jupiter Adepts present, and embraced both of them with its cool touch. Sheba knew Ivan sensed something wrong, but he didn't pry. They sat in silence for a while, watching Vault open its sleepy eyes. Below her, Sheba heard Garet's snoring stop. 

Sheba looked over at her friend, and images from her dream reappeared in her head. She fought back tears. Why was she being such a baby? What was wrong with her? 

Ivan moved closer to her, looking worried. "Sheba, what's the matter?" He put a comforting arm around her shoulders. 

Sheba began to sniffle. She leaned in closer, letting her friend comfort her. "Ivan, I had an awful dream..." 

He seemed about to say something, but looked up as someone approached the inn. Sheba glanced up too. It was Dora, and she looked panicked. She stopped running, and hesitated when she saw the two on the roof - but only for a moment. "Ivan! Sheba! You and and your friends are needed at the sanctum! It's important - please come quickly!" And then she was off again. 

Ivan turned back to Sheba. "We'd better go... do you want to talk later?" 

Sheba forced a smile. "No, I'll be fine... it's nothing important. We'd better get the others now." 

Ivan didn't look at all convinced, but he let it go, helping her up from the roof. The Jupiter Adepts closed their eyes and reached out to their friends. 

A few minutes later, Zephyr soared through the skies of Vault, and eight purple blurs shot toward the sanctum. 

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Well, there ya go. A little short, maybe, but I'm satisfied. This story might be delayed for a while though, because I'm leaving for camp on the 21st, and I'll be gone for four weeks. No electronics allowed there - that's right, I can't haul the laptop along. And even if I could, I doubt the cabins would have wireless internet connection... ^_^ 

I'm gonna miss ff.net, though. T_T So if I don't update by June 21, I won't for a long time. Sorry! 

P.S. I'm not sure if 'sanctum' was the right word to use - I meant the place with the Great Healer who revives and removes curses and all that good stuff. If I'm wrong, please correct me! 

Read & Review!!! 


	2. Fog

I'm BACK!!! Camp was fun, but I missed ff.net soooooo much! T_T  
Now... I have to type up what I worked on at camp and then finish it up... this could turn into an all-nighter. -_- I might have to run into tomorrow... 

BTW, I have this story set a little while later after both games. Vale is in the process of being rebuilt. 

Sorry, but I still haven't finished reading all the stuff I missed. I'll do it soon, I promise! I just want to get this done. And thanks for all the reviews!  
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The eight Adepts huddled warily around the door of the sanctum. The others watched, with slight apprehension, as Isaac pushed the double doors open with a dull booming sound. 

The one-roomed building was dimly lit, for although it was early in the day, there were no windows; the room was lit by two torches. One stood to the left of the healer's desk, and the other had been moved to illuminate a small cot on the right side of the room. The healer, Dora, and Garet's grandfather were grouped around the bed, and looked up as the group entered the sanctum. All three looked worried. 

As the healer spoke to Isaac in a hushed whisper, Ivan and Sheba exchanged uneasy glances. This man was clearly panicked about something, no matter how hard he was trying to hide it. The emotion was so strong that Sheba began to feel quite scared herself. She watched as Mia joined the conversation; the older man seemed grateful for the advice of another healer. Finally, Isaac and Mia turned back to the others. Mia looked mildly worried, but Isaac's eyes held a familiar determination. 

"All right, here's what's going on." All eyes turned to Isaac at the sound of his hushed voice. "This man was hit by some kind of monster attack; apparently it was some sort of strange beam emitted by the monster." Sheba glanced back at the cot - Dora had shifted slightly, revealing a dark-haired, middle-aged man that Sheba didn't know. 

"He's still unconscious," Mia continued, "even though his other injuries have been healed. The attack did no immediate physical damage, but his life signs are failing." She glanced back at the man in the bed. "He's having trouble breathing, and his heartbeat is slowing down." 

Felix spoke up. "Have you tried to revive him?" 

The healer nodded. "I have - but if one of you wants to try, you're welcome to. I've attempted everything I can think of, and nothing's worked." 

Dora looked over at them. "We're desperate at this point. He was fine until a little while ago." Her eyes were pleading. "Try anything that might work." 

Felix glanced over at Isaac, who shrugged. Some of the determination had faded from his eyes, and worried looks were passing around the group. Sheba felt butterflies stirring in her stomach. This wasn't the kind of job she was used to. 

The group converged around the cot as Dora and the mayor stepped away. Felix put a hand over the man's chest and closed his eyes. There was a collective intake of breath from the group as the golden light shimmered in the air, but the usual heavenly finale was absent. There was an awkward silence as the spell faded. 

Isaac glanced around the group. "Okay... If you've got healing Psyenergy, try it." 

Mia, Jenna, and Picard moved behind the two Venus Adepts. Golden, blue, and red light filled the room in turn as each Adept attempted their own healing spells. Each time a spell was cast, there was collective suspense, then disappointment and worried looks after it failed. 

Finally, all the healers had tried everything they could, and the man was unaffected. Even the potions, nuts, and antidotes pulled from the Adepts' pockets produced no change. The healer was shifting restlessly, and looked very uneasy. 

Sheba looked around at the other inactive Adepts. Garet looked frustrated that he couldn't do anything, and was pacing the length of the chamber. Ivan, on the other hand, was standing completely still next to Sheba. He seemed to be deep in thought. He continued staring into space, even when the sparkles and flashes of various Djinn filled the room, reflected in his amethyst eyes. 

Sheba realized she was staring, and quickly looked away. The butterflies in her stomach had intensified, but now the effect was different; it was a pleasant, racing feeling rather than a sickening one. 

Sheba pushed this feeling aside, and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. She remembered Mia's words: "The attack did no physical damage". That's what she had said. What if the damage wasn't physical at all? 

Next to her, Ivan seemed to snap awake again. Had she been thinking that loudly? Had he picked up on the strange butterflies in her stomach? 

_Good idea_, he told her mentally as she got up to talk to Isaac. When she looked back at him, he was smiling. She fought the butterflies down. 

"Isaac?" He turned to look at her. "Do you want me to get into his mind and see if there's a problem there?" 

He looked startled for a moment, then smiled. He looked almost relieved. "Sure, Sheba, that'd be great. Hang on a minute..." He turned to the others, who were now engaged in whispered conversation; they stopped to listen, then moved aside. 

Sheba felt Ivan approach behind her as she came to stand beside the bed. "Good luck," he murmured as she slipped into the spell. 

The first thing Sheba noticed when she entered his mind was the weight. She felt like she was being pressed down into herself by the weight of a dozen stone spires. She struggled to look around. Instead of the usual expanse of thought and memory, all she could see was what looked like a thick black fog. It fought her Psyenergy as she tried to penetrate deeper. She stopped moving and felt around her for the usual activity. It was slow, sluggish. The blackness was everywhere. 

Sheba pushed at the fog with a burst of power. It receded, then started to push back. A sharp pain shot through her mind as the fog began to surround her. She thrust at it desperately. She didn't have enough power! She felt her ties to her body begin to fade as she was pulled deeper and deeper into the blackness... 

A light flared behind her. By this time, she was only dimly aware of anything around her, but it felt warm and comforting. As it enveloped her, her vision began to fade... 

She was jerked back into the fog suddenly and painfully. It engulfed her more quickly now. She tried to release the spell, but found she couldn't. She was clinging to her body by her last thread of willpower, feeling herself being consumed by the fog, when the light returned, pushing the darkness back. It completely surrounded her, pulsating with a bright violet hue, and Sheba felt her mind released from the spell and the blackness... 

She opened her eyes and found Ivan crouching over her, looking at her with worried eyes. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he was breathing heavily. He looked exhausted. Slowly, she sat up. Her head was ringing. She looked around at the frightened expressions on the others' faces. 

"What... just happened?" She asked slowly. 

Ivan shook his head, falling back to sit beside her on the ground. "You'd been standing there for a little while, and then you just fell... just crumpled onto yourself as if..." He broke off and shook his head again. "It was scary. We had no clue what was happening." 

After a moment of silence, Mia continued the story. "Ivan dashed over to you and said he was going to try and pull you out of it. After a second he kind of keeled over as if he had been punched in the stomach, and kept swaying and buckling over. It scared us all half to death, because none of us could do anything. We were all sitting here petrified until he finally opened his eyes." 

"Sheba..." She turned toward the sound of Picard's accented voice. "What happened in there?" 

"There's definitely a problem in his mind," Sheba announced. "But..." She glanced at Ivan. "I'm going to need help." 

The other Jupiter Adept wordlessly rose and headed for the cot as Sheba followed suit. He looked thoroughly shaken. Sheba peered worriedly at him. It wasn't like Ivan to get so worked up over something like this; he usually stayed relatively calm in situations like this one. He noticed her concern, and gave her a small smile, accompanied by a feeling Sheba couldn't explain. 

"Wait a minute..." Jenna stepped forward, cinnamon eyes wide with concern. "Are you sure about this? If something like that happens again, there won't be anyone to pull you out of it! Isn't there anything else..." 

Sheba shook her head slightly. "I'm pretty sure this is the only way..." 

Jenna continued to look worried. "All right... I guess you guys know best. Just be careful in there." 

Sheba gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile before turning back to Ivan. Together, they slowly eased into the spell. She felt safer this time, drawing comfort from the distant feeling of Ivan's hand in hers. 

Once they were completely inside the spell, Sheba watched Ivan go through the same investigations she had a little while ago. _That fog is what's causing this_, she told him. _I tried to fight it before, but it resisted, and I didn't have enough power. It's probably going to try to pull us in._

_All right. I'm ready._

Sheba felt Ivan link his power with hers as she prepared herself for a mental battle. They started out with a burst of power, just like before. As the resistance kicked in, she felt Ivan waver. Mentally, she winced. She should have given him better warning. She pushed more of her power outwards, sending some through Ivan in hopes of helping him recover. Little by little, the fog receded. With their combined power, it wasn't hard to overtake it. 

Finally, only traces of the fog remained. Sheba could already feel the mental activity around her slowly returning to normal. She concentrated the last bit of her energy, and the fog disappeared altogether. _We did it_, she told Ivan drowsily. She felt drained. Perhaps more out of exhaustion than out of will, the two Adepts slipped back into the sanctum. 

Sheba wasn't clearly aware of much after that. There was general happiness and many thanks - she had learned to tune those out since their adventure - but she felt like she had been half-asleep through all of it; maybe she had. They were eventually brought back to the inn. She remembered being reluctant to let go of Ivan's hand; why, she couldn't remember. Eventually, though, exhaustion got the better of her, and all her thoughts turned to sleep. She had never realized how draining this kind of thing could be! 

She drifted into her room, half-toppling onto her bed. Her head hit the pillow, and she slept, dreaming of red, flaming eyes in darkness. 

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Hah! Finally found time to finish this. Sorry I didn't post right away - I still had to finish up when I got back, and things have been busy. 

I've finally finished reading all your wonderful stuff I missed! ^_____^ 

Reviews are appreciated. ::puppy dog eyes:: 


	3. Warnings

Whee, now we get to do the hard chapter. _ This is the one I'm getting writer's block on, because I don't know exactly what's going to happen in it. Gotta kinda bridge the two main parts of the story... 

I'm thinking this won't get too long... just a few more chapters. Though that could change. And yes, I'm now Jupiter Sprite. There were two Jupiter Girls on ff.net, and I prefer this to "Jupiter Girl1". 

Hey Ivan? Where are you? Get over here and do the disclaimer! *long silence* Come ON! ::sighs and snaps fingers:: 

Ivan: ::appearing in a puff of smoke with a bump:: Ow! ::pouts:: She doesn't own Golden Sun - why do the authors always make US say these things, they're perfectly capable of doing it themselves! 

::smiling sweetly:: We always hurt the ones we love, Ivan. You can go back to Sheba now. 

Ivan: YOU'VE BEEN SPYING ON ME AGAIN!!! 

Heheheheh... ^^; 

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Pain bombarded all parts of Sheba's body as the cave walls rained down on her. A blow to the head nearly knocked her senseless... 

Red light flashed before her eyes as searing fire was spewed in all directions... 

She watched in horror as his eyes widened... He moaned softly as he staggered, then fell... 

She ran her fingers through his hair... 

His breathing was painfully shallow... 

Sunlight... she opened her eyes slowly and saw the dusty wooden ceiling of her room at the inn. Where...? 

Then she remembered last night. Groaning, she pulled herself to a sitting position, trying to ignore the way her head was throbbing painfully. She gingerly lowered herself to the floor and stood, wavering slightly before she recovered her balance. 

Something caught her attention. Straining her ears, she heard voices from downstairs. 

"Garet, don't eat _everything_! Some of this is for Sheba, you know!" The Jupiter Adept in question smiled faintly as she registered the familiar sound of Jenna's scolding. There was a muffled reply from Garet, most likely obstructed by the food in his mouth. 

More voices drifted up to her. "We're going to make you pay for more if you eat her share!" Sheba recognized Ivan's teasing voice. Isaac interjected something, to which Garet mumbled another reply. Isaac chuckled, and Ivan gave a moan of exasperation. 

Sheba's eyes widened. Something about that last sound sent chills down her spine. Images flashed before her eyes as they were pulled from her dreams. She shivered, although it was quite warm in her room. When would this stop? 

Shaking her head, she began to head downstairs, toward the voices. She had never had premonitions before - what proof was there that she was now? They were just dreams... 

Sheba reached the main room of the inn and really smiled at what she saw. Garet was sitting at a table piled with empty dishes, looking up at Jenna with pleading eyes, whining. Isaac and Picard looked on in amusement while Felix and Mia sat at a different table, deep in their own conversation and completely ignoring the whole thing. 

"But Jenna, I'm hungry! Just a little more..." Garet had on the most innocent face he was capable of, but it didn't sway Jenna. 

"No, Garet," she told him firmly. Despite her hard tone, there was an amused light in her eyes. "That food," she said, motioning to Ivan, who guarded a full breakfast plate, "is Sheba's. We are not getting any more for you - you've had more than enough." She turned to where Sheba stood, unnoticed. "There you are! You'd better salvage your food." 

"Eat it fast," Ivan advised cheerfully, handing her the plate. Sheba obliged. She was starving. 

Garet sighed. "All right, I give up." Jenna whacked him playfully over the head. "Ow! What was that for?" 

"For fun," Jenna replied with a laugh. Another pointless argument ensued. 

Ivan stood beside Sheba as she finished the food on her plate. "Are you feeling all right? You look kind of..." He paused, searching for words. "worn out." 

She smiled half-heartedly as she stacked her empty dish on top of the rest. "I'm all right... I've just been having weird dreams, that's all." 

"The same one as before?" 

Sheba's face took on a look of concentration. "I'm not sure... but... I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." 

At that moment, a familiar face popped around the doorframe. "Ah! Felix! You and your friends must listen to this!" The scholar continued to chatter excitedly as he hurried across the room to where the group was gathered. Garet gave a rather obvious groan and dropped his head to the table. Isaac stepped on his foot. 

"Uh, actually, Kraden..." Felix trailed. The others could practically hear the gears turning in his head. "I mean, we'd love to hear about it, but the healer wanted us to meet somebody this morning. We were just about to leave." There was an awkward silence for a moment before the whole group started talking at once. 

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that..." 

"We'd better get going..." 

"Sorry, Kraden. Another time..." 

"We'll see you later!" 

There was temporary chaos in the room as the Adepts hurried to clear the table and escape the inn; then, not actually knowing where they were going, stood around awkwardly waiting for Felix. 

"I am sure there will be time another day," Picard offered consolingly as he followed the others out the door. Kraden, however, had found another victim. Sheba had to stop herself from laughing as she watched the scholar animatedly relating something to the innkeeper, who was nodding and trying to look interested. 

"Good thinking, Felix," Mia said breathlessly once they were far enough away from the inn. "I thought we were doomed for a moment there." 

"Actually," he replied, "that wasn't a lie. We're supposed to meet up with that man from yesterday - I just hadn't planned to leave quite yet." 

Isaac frowned slightly. "What are we needed for this time?" 

Felix shrugged. "I don't know - probably something about that monster. Isn't that always where our missions seem to lead?" 

"Too true, Felix," Sheba answered. "So where are we headed? The sanctum?" 

Felix didn't have to respond, because a voice was already calling to them from the sanctum doors. They hurried forward as the healer led them inside. 

Once indoors, they found Felix's words to be true - the same man was sitting on a bench, waiting for them. Introductions were made - the man's name was Kobii, and he had been working on the rebuilding of Vale when he was attacked. 

Felix frowned as he listened to the man's story. "So... you found the monster in a cave? I don't remember any caves in that area..." 

Kobii nodded. "Many new surprises have been uncovered since the rising of the Golden Sun. Some speculate that Mount Aleph's collapse created access to many unexplored places in Vale." 

"How did you find the cave?" Mia questioned. 

"My friend and I were just walking to our work site as usual when I spotted an opening I hadn't seen before. We decided to see what it was - I guess we hoped to find some treasure or something, I don't know." He shrugged. "Instead, we found a monster." 

"What did it look like?" Ivan asked. 

"Well, I didn't get much time to look at it - and even if I had, it was too dark most of the time to tell. I reckon it must have been dark-colored, because all I could see were two big, red, flaming eyes." 

Something in Sheba's memory stirred... 

"The room lit up for a minute as it attacked, but it fired the beam almost immediately. I suppose you'll be wanting to know what the attack looked like... truth is, I can't recall much. It seemed bright and blinding at the time, but it was all dark colors. It surrounded me completely... that's the last thing I remember. My buddy said it faded and I stood there a moment before I fell. Then the room went dark again - he didn't see any more of the beast than I did." 

Garet sighed. "I suppose we're being asked to get rid of this monster." 

Kobii frowned. "Not necessarily... it would be a huge risk to your safety, so Vale can't ask it of you. But seeing as how we know this thing's awake and dangerous, construction can't really continue..." 

The group exchanged weary glances. This didn't sound like too much fun... 

"Just thought my information might be of some use..." Kobii inclined his head slightly and stood. "I'd best be going." 

"The same goes for us," Felix said as the group rose, "especially if we're going to do something about this..." 

The Adepts filed out the door, each thinking their own thoughts about the ordeal that had been presented to them. None of them were pleasant. 

"All right... when are we going to find this thing?" Jenna asked grimly once they were back at the inn. 

"Well... it doesn't sound like too much of an immediate threat," Isaac mused. "I think we can all get a good night's sleep and stock up on supplies before we do this thing." 

Mia stood. "All right - I'm going to head out to the shops and stock up on some things - we don't know what we're up against yet, so we'd better be safe." 

"It might be best if all of us check our supplies to be sure we're not missing anything vital," Picard suggested as Mia began to leave. "I know for a fact I'm running low on water of life..." 

The preparations continued throughout the afternoon. When everyone was satisfied they would have all they needed, the Adepts rested, regaining their energy, then migrated to Felix's room to discuss battle strategy. This wasn't very successful, since none of them knew for sure what they would be combatting. In the end, they decided to head to bed early and wished each other good night. 

Sheba did not sleep well. Over and over she watched the darkness hit. Over and over she watched him fall. 

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Hum... I think I'm done with this chappy. I'd better go to bed. 

Unfortunately for all you wonderful readers, I am finishing this in Maine, with (insert dramatic music here) no internet connection! The horror! So, even though this was done on the 23rd, I couldn't post till now. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You know I'm a slow updater. ^_^; 

Please review! I hope that wasn't too short a chapter... 


	4. Hanging

Yay! Weekend!!! I'd forgotten how torturous homework was. No wonder it took me so long to update last year... ^_^' 

Anyway, back to the uplifting weekend stuff, I am feeling wonderfully inspired and super-psyched... for the last chapter. Which this isn't. Ehehe... but don't worry, I've got a few ideas for this one, too! Don't hurt me... 

Disclaimer: Me? Own Golden Sun? Wow, and I thought I was crazy... 

Ah, let's try a few little replyish thingies... whateveryoucallems. (I'm not gonna do every single one of you... so don't be offended if I don't answer you. ^^) 

**Griffinkhan**: Yeah, Ivan does seem to get hurt quite a lot... probably because he's cute when he's vulnerable. ^_^ 

**Wild Fox of the Wasteland**: I'm glad you can enjoy it despite your feelings on Windshippyness... ^^ 

**Ivan's Kitsune**: Hey, we're talking about my all-time favorite character here. Don't worry, I'm not gonna neglect him! ^^ But I'll keep that in mind. 

**Ice Princess**: Heheheh... only the authoress knows what the future has in store. I don't really know how I got the idea for that attack (it just kinda popped into my head). Thanks! 

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"Ugh, I can't see a thing..." 

"Consider us lucky. This is nothing compared to Altmiller Cave." 

"Um...?" 

"Oh, right, you weren't there, were you? Let's just say that somehow the cave walls managed to continuously collide with Garet's head." 

"...That wasn't funny, Isaac. I came out of that with a lot of bruises." 

"Thanks for enlightening me... oh, this is ridiculous. Shine, get out here!" The Adepts had to shield their eyes as the cave was suddenly lit up with a bright flash. "Um, thanks, that's what I needed, but could you maybe tone the light down a little?" Jenna asked, blinking slightly. 

"Sure thing, Jen!" the Djinni replied happily as it settled onto the Mars Adept's cinnamon ponytail. As the light dimmed, Sheba surveyed the path in front of them. 

"Wow, this tunnel seems to go on forever," she mused as she stared ahead from the front of the group. Shine's light cast long shadows on the walls of the tunnel, giving the path ahead of them an eerie, surreal look. 

"When that worker described this cave, I pictured something a bit shorter. We've been walking for a while now," commented Ivan as he came to stand next to her. After a pause, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "What's that sound?" 

The group stopped to listen as the sound grew louder. Sheba listened harder. It sounded almost like... wings. Thousands and thousands of wings... 

Suddenly high-pitched screeches were echoing off the cave walls as a dark cloud engulfed the party. Bats. Normally a small threat, but there had to be over a hundred of them! Temporarily forgetting their Psyenergy, the group shielded themselves with swords, staves, and even their packs as they swatted at the creatures surrounding them. 

Sheba felt Ivan grab her free hand. A thought passed between them. "Back up!" Ivan yelled to the rest of the group. They quickly obliged, pressing themselves against the cave walls. 

"Shine Plasma!" two voices yelled, and the bats fell like rain. Sheba shook one off her shoulder and onto the ground, wrinkling her nose in disgust. But the rest of the creatures weren't giving up. 

"Inferno!" 

"Ice Missile!" 

"Stone Spire!" 

"Wait, wait!" Mia yelled, dodging a pillar of flame. "We can't all fight at once in such a small space! We'll kill each other!" 

"She's right," Felix agreed. "I can't even see the rest of you! Garet and Picard, you two back up with me and don't attack unless we're needed." 

"Aw, come on," Garet muttered as he backed away, fire fading from his hands. "Why do I have to sit out?" 

"At least they are only bats," Picard stated, then gave a sudden, startled cry, hitting the ground as large claws flashed in front of him. 

"Heat Wave!" Garet shouted, sending red-hot flame shooting toward where Picard had been standing. There was a shriek from amidst the cloud of bats as something even bigger hit the floor. 

A bright blue light pulsed at Garet's feet, and the Lemurian slowly stood. "So much for only bats." 

"We've got a problem!" Felix yelled to the others. "There's something much bigger than bats in there! You'll want to deal with this fast!" 

"We're trying!" Mia yelled back as the room began to dim. "Jenna, what's going on?" 

"Shine can't last forever, you know!" Jenna replied, getting annoyed as she continuously threw balls of fire into the cloud around her. She was more likely to hit her friends than hit a monster; what was the point of this? Her attacks grew in size and heat as she took out her frustration on the enemies around her. 

"Uh-oh," Garet muttered. "Jenna's pissed..." 

Finally, her patience snapped. "I summon Mars!" she cried, ignoring her friends' startled shouts as they dove for cover. 

"Jenna, what are you doing?" Ivan yelled, pressed into a corner. "We're all going to be deep-fried!" Sheba was beside him, shielding herself from the singing fire as best she could. This was exactly the wrong time for a summon! What had she been thinking? 

"When I said I was hungry, I didn't really have Adept casserole in mind!" Garet shouted, sounding annoyed. "Calm down!" 

When the fire had finally died down, all that was left was a slightly sheepish Jenna and several fading bats littering the floor. "Um, sorry... you all survived that, didn't you?" 

"Barely..." Isaac and Felix grumbled in unison, picking themselves up from the ground. Both were badly singed, and the fact that they were Venus Adepts didn't help any. 

"Oh, man, I'm really sorry... here." Jenna held out both hands as a red light surrounded the other party members. The burns quickly disappeared, and angry expressions softened a bit. 

"That's all right, Jenna," Mia replied, brushing her robes off. "At least it got rid of all the monsters." She looked around at the now empty tunnel they stood in. "Hey... didn't someone find a bigger monster? We never even found out what it was." 

"It had claws," Picard supplied, rubbing his arm. "Sharp claws." 

"Well, I'd say it's best to get moving now," Felix suggested, peering into the darkness warily. "There's bound to be more where those came from, and with Shine gone, we won't even be able to see." 

"Oh, that's right," said Jenna. "Shine... are you charged up again yet?" 

"Well, I would be," echoed the Djinni's high voice, "but if you recall, a certain Mars Adept used me for a summon. It'll take a while to recover." 

"Oh, Mars, I'm an idiot," Jenna mumbled. "We can't waste Psyenergy on a flame, either; we're already tapped from that fight." 

"Well, we can't stay here," Isaac sighed resignedly. "We'll have to keep going in the dark. Let's make... two lines. Just keep in contact." 

Sheba felt a touch on her shoulder, and almost jumped before she realized it was Ivan. Reaching in front of her, she realized there was no one there. She was at the head of the line. 

"Who's in front?" Isaac called from somewhere close behind her. 

"I am," she heard Mia say from her left. 

"Me too," she said. Her heart was racing; from fear, she suspected. She would much rather have been in the middle of her line. As the group began to move, Sheba was acutely aware of Ivan's hands on her shoulders. 

"I feel like a little kid playing choo-choo train," Garet joked as they shuffled along. No one responded; an eerie silence had blanketed the group. Sheba was very uneasy. She wished she had someone in front of her to hold on to - she felt vulnerable. The party trekked on in silence; the minutes piled up. From time to time, the group began to notice a strange purple crystal glowing in patches on the walls and floor. 

"What is it?" Mia murmured softly. 

"No clue," responded Isaac from behind her. 

Suddenly, Mia cried out. A split second later, Sheba stepped into thin air, and with a strangled gasp, began to fall downward. More startled cries, dropping weapons, and scuffling sounded behind her, and arms fastened around her waist, stopping her with a jerk. Her legs dangled out into space. 

A flash lit the scene, accompanied by a cheerful cry of "I'm back!" The little Djinni squeaked in astonishment moments afterward, and the light wavered. "Oh my..." 

Sheba stared down at her feet, not wanting to comprehend what she saw. The pit below her faded into blackness. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to make the panic that had filled her body disappear. Maybe it was better that she couldn't see the bottom... 

Remembering the arms locked around her waist, she looked down and saw familiar purple sleeves. "I-Ivan?" she stuttered. Her terrified brain couldn't seem to make her mouth work right. 

A voice spoke startlingly close to her left ear. "Right here," Ivan responded shakily. 

Turning her head, she surveyed the scene behind her as best she could. 

"Oh, Jupiter..." 

Ivan was directly behind her, arms wrapped around her waist in a death grip, back against the cliff face. Clutching his cape with one hand was Jenna, balanced exactly on the edge of the drop and looking as though she was about to faint. She clung to Picard's wrist with her other hand. 

Also attached to the Lemurian's wrist was Felix, who had remained firmly standing and was linked to Garet, who in turn clung to Isaac's ankle. Isaac himself was on his stomach, half on and half off the cliff. Mia, to Sheba's left, clutched Isaac's hand in both of hers, petrified. 

The group's anchoring force was Picard's crimson wristband, which had caught on a rock jutting out of the wall. 

"Picard..." Jenna moaned, "could you maybe switch our weight to something more... substantial?" 

"My other hand is rather occupied at the moment," he responded through gritted teeth. Sheba saw his point. She fervently prayed to the gods and goddesses of Jupiter that his arm wouldn't be torn off. "I hope we have a plan," he added, sounding a bit panicked. "My joints were not designed to bear so much weight." 

Sheba squeezed her eyes shut. Come on, think! Her stomach had begun to ache from gravity's determined attempts to pull her down into the black abyss below her. Looking down at the spot in question, she saw that Ivan's knuckles were white, and felt his arms trembling slightly. This must have been putting a huge strain on him; she knew she would never be able to hold up for this long in his position. She could feel his heart pounding against her back. 

Her thoughts began to drift. In the back of her mind, Sheba considered the thought that she was too scared to think straight any longer. Now she saw his face - funny, his eyes were almost the same hue as that strange purple stone they'd seen... 

Her eyes snapped open. Maybe... 

"Picard! Is there any of that weird purple crystal near you?" 

"What? Yeah, actually I'm standing on some of it... but isn't that a bit off to-" 

"I think that's the same stone that's used to power hover pads - listen, I'm going to toss you the Hover Jade; lift us up and swing us all back onto solid ground!" 

Tuning out the rest of the group's panicked, confused chatter, she made her way into Ivan's mind. 

_Ivan, hold tight - I'm turning around._

Sheba hesitated for a moment before attempting this maneuver. Would she fall? But no, this was the only way. Gently gripping Ivan's arm, she began to wriggle her way around to face him, slowly and carefully lest he drop her. 

She slipped only once, but it was terrifying. Forgetting her attempts to be gentle, she clutched his arm tightly enough to cut off his circulation. His grip tightened, but it wasn't as strong as it had been when she first fell. "Keep going," he urged her, but his voice was shaky. She had to do this quickly. She forced herself around with a final tug, eyes squeezed shut. 

When she opened them, Ivan's face was inches from her own. When had he gotten so close...? 

Shaking her head, she pulled the Hover Jade from her pocket, where it had thankfully remained throughout the entire ordeal. She eyed Picard's wrist, which was occupied by the hands of both Jenna and Felix. 

"Alright, Picard, I know you can't move your hand, but just keep your palm facing up and I'll try to direct it in. Ready?" 

She tossed the small stone into the air, throwing her arms wide and calling on the wind. Concentrating hard, she guided the Jade toward Picard's outstretched palm. A little to the left... 

_Thunk._ Picard closed his fingers around the gem. "Mercury, let this work," he muttered. 

"Hover!" 

Sheba's eyes brightened with surprise and relief as Picard's boots rose off the floor, the air around his feet shimmering colorfully. Seconds later, the rest of the group followed, holding onto each other for dear life. Sheba's toes were inches above the level of the cliff when the whole group began to swing backwards. 

A loud ripping sound echoed above her as Ivan's cape finally gave out, severing his link to Jenna and sending the two Jupiter Adepts crashing to the floor. Ivan let go of Sheba and landed gracefully in a crouch before being buried under the rest of the Adepts. 

Sheba, who had managed to land on the edge of the pile, giggled slightly as a muffled groan came from the middle of the heap. Slowly and dazedly, the group began to untangle themselves, Ivan emerging from the middle and Jenna staring at the piece of green cloth in her hand as if not quite sure where it had come from. 

"That was fun," Picard muttered, massaging his wrist and gazing thoughtfully at a patch of the Hover stone. 

"Those guys went through all this on the off-chance that they would find some treasure?" Garet mumbled, rubbing his head. "What morons..." 

"No," Mia said, looking to the other side of the gap. "There used to be a path crossing this." When the others followed her gaze, they saw that she was right. A stone walkway extended about a yard from the other side of the pit. Its edge was jagged, looking as if the rest of it had indeed broken off sometime recently. 

"Well," Picard said, tossing Sheba the Hover Jade, "it seems as if we'll be leaving the ground again quite soon." 

***

Many minutes and a lot of Psyenergy later, the group stood on the other side of the gap, catching their breath. Sheba was lost in her thoughts, reflecting on their ordeal. 

It had been one of the most terrifying experiences of her life... but with Ivan supporting her, she had felt safe in a way she never had before. 

For a fleeting moment, Sheba wished he was holding her again. 

**************************************************************************** 

Okay, I know, that was corny. But I'm going through romance withdrawal! Surely all you other romance addicts out there will understand... 

Oh, one more (completely off-topic) thing I wanted to say. Have any of you noticed how Ivan's always left out of pictures of the first group? It really bugs me! I can think of at least two pictures showing Isaac, Garet, and Mia... but no Ivan. ::fumes:: 

I really need a muse. Maybe I'll hunt down one of the Djinn. 

Anyway, review!!! 


	5. Memory Child

Look who it is! It's me, all inspired. I've actually had some time to write this past week, so let's get started. 

Voice: Psst! What about me? 

Oh, right. *ahem* Introducing... ::drumroll in background:: My new muse... 

Lull! ::symbol clangs:: 

Lull: ::emerging from JS's hair:: Hello! ^_^ 

Yup, Vil went and got me a muse! Lull was a great middle of September present, Vil. ^___^ Thanks! Now, go read! And... I don't own Golden Sun. . 

***************************************************************************** 

Sheba brought her staff down across her body, sighing as she watched the last enemy in front of them fade away. Her feelings of uneasiness had been growing, and she wasn't liking it one bit. 

"Are you all right?" Ivan asked, the third - no, fourth - person who had asked what was wrong. 

"Fine," she snapped. Seeing his hurt look, she sighed and added, "I'm sorry. I'm just getting a bad feeling, and it's making me nervous." 

"I can understand that. After all, we don't know how hard this monster will be to defeat." 

"No..." Sheba mused, more to herself than to the Adept next to her. "It's not that..." 

"Ivan? Sheba?" Felix queried. Sheba looked up to realize the rest of the group had begun to move on. 

"Oh... sorry." As Sheba ran to catch up with the others, sudden images flashed through her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she stopped and forced them away. Ivan approached from behind, worry radiating off of him, and Sheba quickly wove her way into the middle of the group, attempting a casual expression. 

"I hope this monster won't be too much trouble," Felix was saying. "We should be prepared for anything." 

"Especially if it goes and freezes Shine," Jenna joked. "We need our light." 

"No..." Sheba said distantly. "It uses fire..." 

Everyone turned to stare. After a moment of stunned silence, Garet spoke. "How... do you know?" 

Sheba was slightly intimidated, and stood inside the circle of Adepts wearing a bewildered expression. "I... don't know... er, that is to say... um..." She looked down at her feet. "I'm not sure," she murmured. "But it is fire-based. I'm sure of it... somehow." 

"Do you know anything else about it?" Isaac asked, in a familiar businesslike tone of voice. "It would be useful to know as much as we can." 

"Well..." Sheba thought for a moment. Memories tugged at the edge of her mind like a child tugging on a shirt sleeve. She quickly dismissed the child. If the memories were not let into her mind, perhaps they would leave entirely... 

"No, I don't think so," she finished. 

The child still stood on the edge of her mind, staring at her with insistent eyes. 

***

Sheba was lost in her own thoughts for a while after the confrontation. She didn't know why it had been so terrifying to think about the memories- 

_Because you're lying to yourself_, a voice whispered in her mind. 

Sheba ignored the voice, and continued walking. 

_You know what's going to happen to him_, the voice persisted. _Admit it..._

"I won't," she muttered fervently to herself. "No, no, no..." 

"What was that, Sheba?" Mia asked, walking next to her. Her eyes held their usual cheery shine, but there was concerned curiosity hiding in their depths. 

"Oh, nothing," Sheba assured her quickly, looking up and giving a weak smile. "Just talking to myself..." 

The Mercury Adept continued to walk on in silence, but Sheba knew she had not convinced her. Sighing inwardly, she focused her eyes forward, dread washing over her as the memories continued tugging. 

She stared at Ivan's back, fixing her eyes there and never moving them, as if watching him always would keep him safe, standing, out of the dark... 

Suddenly Shine's light flowed outward along the floor as the walls that had enclosed the group disappeared. Now the only thing illuminated was a small patch of floor. Sheba heard their footsteps echoing as they entered a larger space. 

She stopped in her tracks. Her mind was screaming at her, heavy dread growing in the pit of her stomach. "Isaac..." she said, voice more confident than she had expected, "we're close. We should get ready." He gave her a quizzical look, the light casting strange shadows across his face. "Just trust me. I can feel it; it's not too far ahead of us." 

The group slowly began to arrange their Djinn, nervously discussing summons, when the small pool of light on the floor suddenly expanded, the whole room growing an eerie red in color. Even the walls looked as if they were ready to burst into flame. 

"Shine..." Jenna stammered, fear growing in her eyes, "too bright..." 

"It's not me," squeaked the Djinn, disappearing from Jenna's head. 

"He says he's used up," Jenna said hopelessly. "That means..." 

A huge black silhouette began to rise out of the shadows. All attention was focused on it; they all knew what it was. With grim determination, the Adepts stepped into fighting stances. 

All except Sheba. Gripping Ivan's arm, she hurriedly whispered in his ear, "Be careful. Please, Ivan, be careful - something awful's going to happen..." 

The pure terror in her voice caught Ivan's attention; he turned to find the same fear in her eyes. It scared him. Sheba wasn't normally one to show so much fear. 

Stepping away and turning her gaze back toward the monster, panic threatened to engulf her. It joined the forbidden memories on the edge of her mind. 

Suddenly, red light flashed before her eyes as searing fire was spewed in all directions, sending the Adepts scattering. 

The memories were breaking in. 

That fire... the fire she had known was aligned with the monster. She had seen it before. In her dreams. _No_, she thought to herself bitterly, _premonitions. That's what they were all along. I'm such a fool..._

Each image flashed before her eyes in turn. _Ivan_, she thought wildly. _Where is he? If all of this comes true... if..._

Sheba practically threw herself across the room, earning stares from her friends as she came to stand between Felix and Ivan. She wouldn't let anything happen. She wouldn't let her nightmares come true. 

She looked up. Red, flaming eyes in darkness. 

Sheba wanted to cry. 

All around her, hands were raised in the air. 

"Flora!" 

"Daedulus!" 

"Eclipse!" 

Deciding to conserve some Djinn for later, Sheba called out, "Shine Plasma!" Her barrage of lightning bolts joined the gods and goddesses in the air around the beast. In the shower of sparks that followed, Sheba got a better look at the thing. Its fur was stark black tinged with red and orange, and bright red eyes stood out as the only apparent facial feature. She first assumed it to have four legs, but saw that an extra pair in the front housed long, lethal claws that shone in the rapidly flickering light. Glancing behind the beast, she saw a tail tipped with spikes. 

The monster flinched under the mighty blows, giving an ear-splitting cry of pain. Its eyes flared, and fire was suddenly surrounding the group, spinning around slowly like clouds drifting lazily through the sky. 

Picard quickly called on Shade, whose watery resistance blocked most of the searing heat. Garet and Jenna, hardly affected by the scalding temperatures, took advantage of the temporary protection and fell upon the beast with sword and spell. 

The monster swiped at the two Fire Adepts with its claws, sparks showering as the shields reflected the blows. The shields flickered, then faded as Garet and Jenna were sent skidding across the chamber. 

"Deluge!" Picard cried, and as huge amounts of water formed around the beast, Picard concentrated and kept them there. Sheba watched in awe. He was trying to drown it! Mia followed with her own Mercury spells. 

_Water conducts electricity_, Ivan silently reminded her. She could practically see the smug grin on his face. 

Smirking, Sheba raised her arms. 

"Spark Plasma!" 

"Destruct Ray!" 

The water around the monster flashed brilliantly as wave after wave of lightning ran through it. When the light finally faded, the creature could be seen writhing helplessly, still encased in water. 

But not for long. 

With a desperate motion, the monster forced its head through the wall of its liquid prison, taking a huge gasp of air before opening its mouth wide and firing an immense wave of fire straight at Picard. 

The Mercury Adept tumbled backwards, severely burned, and lay still. The beast roared triumphantly as the water surrounding it fell to the floor with a huge splash. 

"Zephyr!" Ivan called, and Mia sped across the room, falling to her knees at Picard's side. Sheba forced herself to swallow her worry for her friend and turn her attention back to the battle as soft blue light surrounded the fallen Adept. 

She caught the awful gleam in the beast's eyes as it turned toward Ivan, the chamber growing hot and dark. She knew something was coming - the familiar dread threatened to cut off her air. 

"Lull!" she cried desperately, and the room returned to normal, the monster swaying placidly in place. She smiled and thanked Jupiter that Lull had ended up with her. 

The two Earth Adepts stepped forward, pummeling the creature with Stone Spire. Sheba frowned. Why didn't they cast Grand Gaia? Then she realized what they already had - an attack like that would probably cause the entire cave to collapse. She sighed, half-heartedly casting Destruct Ray as her spirits sank. The Venus Adepts were being limited, and the beast was resistant to fire - only four of them could use their Psyenergy to its full effect. 

The spinning fire surrounded the group once again, this time no obstacles standing in its way. Sheba dropped to the floor, trying to avoid some of the searing flames as she monitored Ivan. He was still safe. 

The red light of Jenna's healing spell surrounded the Adepts as Mia and Picard rejoined the fight. All of the Adepts seemed to join into one mind as Psyenergy attacks of every element rained down on the monster. Sheba didn't notice the clubbed tail until it whizzed by her shoulder, leaving a thin gash, and knocked Felix and Garet across the room. 

When Mia next returned to the battle, there was blood staining the front of her robes. 

As the chain of attacks continued, Sheba began to wonder when the thing would fall. The injuries were piling up on all of them, and Mia and Jenna were kept so busy they were hardly ever fighting. As soon as the thought left her head, she spotted that horrible tail hurtling towards Ivan. She was sure she had lost him, but he flipped over it just as it reached him, taking a blow to his shoulder instead of being gutted by the spikes. 

She almost instinctively unleashed Breath, who helped with Ivan's wound a bit. He shot her a grateful look before launching into another attack. 

Sheba's brow furrowed as she watched him. He was too quick, his reflexes too good to be caught by surprise. She just didn't see any way he could be hit by something like the attack described. Maybe her premonitions had been wrong. 

Smiling to herself, Sheba threw herself back into the battle with new hope. The monster was weakening, its attacks losing their potency. It would be over soon, and everything would be fine. The clang of a sword reached her ears as she watched Isaac slash at the beast in a combination of quick, effective moves. Gracefully dodging a swipe from the claws, he retreated back to the circle of his friends. As soon as he was clear, Sheba cast Tempest, smiling as the monster staggered. It was wavering now, weaker than ever. It would fall at any moment... 

The room grew hot again, unbearably hot. The darkness grew, swallowing the Adepts up. Sheba grimaced, preparing to use Lull to distract the beast from Ivan, but found she couldn't move. Looking up, she met bright, fiery eyes. 

_It's after me_, she realized, heart plummeting. _Not Ivan. Me._

Petrified, Sheba fought the force that held her in place, but to no avail. The room started to blur, the forms of her friends only blotches of color against the dark backdrop. She sucked in her breath and waited, resigned to her fate. 

A voice called her name, and she heard quick footfalls as dark energy formed in the creature's mouth. The beam shot out, the footsteps grew closer... 

The room snapped back into focus as Ivan leapt in front of her, arms spread apart. The beam hit him in midair, and Sheba cried out as the darkness surrounded him. 

She watched in horror as his eyes widened, the room blanketed in silence. He moaned softly as he staggered, then fell, the soft sound echoing through the cave as loudly as a gunshot. 

A moan of despair escaped her as her own thoughts echoed through her head. _There just wasn't any way he could be hit by it..._

Unless he chose to take the blow. 

Paralysis broken, Sheba raced to his side, panic welling up inside of her. He was breathing, alive - but for how long? 

The monster roared, bringing feet down hard onto the ground and sending shocking vibrations across the floor. The Adepts were thrown in every direction as the room began to cave. 

Pain bombarded all parts of Sheba's body as the cave walls rained down on her. A blow to the head nearly knocked her senseless, and her rage and sorrow grew steadily, engulfing her senses. Head spinning with fragmented images, she forced her way out of the rubble and threw her arms in the air. 

"_Spark Plasma!_" she screamed. 

The beast let out one last roar, and fell to the ground with a huge crash. The room's red light faded as the glowing eyes went dark. 

All was still, Sheba's heavy breathing the only sound in the darkness. 

****************************************************************************** 

Wow, you're all going to kill me for that one. There was a good reason for ending it there, I promise! ^_^;;; 

Lull: That battle scene was pitiful. 

Oh, come on... battle scenes are hard! At least I got the point across. If I had described every move in detail, it would have taken forever! 

Lull: Well, you'd better start writing again quick! It took you way too long to update, pitiful or not. 

...It's your first day on muse duty. Can't you cut me some slack? 

Lull: ^_^ 

*sigh* Well, I hope that chapter wasn't too confusing. In _my_ opinion, the battle wasn't too terrible. ::glares at Lull:: 

Review! I think the next chapter's the last one, so tell me what you think. Feedback motivates me. Although I have the next chapter planned out nearly to the word... ^^ 


	6. Angel

::mob of angry reviewers is beating on the door:: 

Uh-oh. I'm in for it now. Hey, Lull? 

Lull: Hm? 

How about that unleash effect of yours right about now? You know, the one about 'negotiating a temporary cease-fire'? 

Lull: Sure thing. ::unleashes, and the mob placidly lays down weapons:: 

^_^ I think we're going to get along just fine, Lull. 

I'm not going to respond to reviews this time... you all basically told me not to kill Ivan, so there wouldn't be much variety. ^^ But thanks to all the reviewers! I'm glad people liked the battle scene, even though Lull wasn't very supportive of it. 

Lull: It's my job to criticize. 

But really, I never said Ivan was dead - or dying. To clarify: he's been hit by that nasty beam thing. He's in the same state that other guy was back in chapter 2. You assume too much... just wait and see. ^^ 

Now, on to the final chapter! I hope it was worth the cliffie! ^_^ 

****************************************************************************** 

She stumbled through the darkness, searching. Where was he? Panic gripped her as her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden lack of light. Slowly she made out his form, sprawled limply on the ground. She dropped to her knees and shook him. No response. She whispered his name, and shook him harder. Blood from a cut on his shoulder was seeping into her robes, but she didn't care. She called him louder, fighting the dull pain that was creeping into her heart... 

Suddenly Sheba froze, an awful feeling of deja vu creeping over her. She had seen all of this coming. Hot tears crept into her eyes. Why hadn't she just told him - anyone - about her dreams? This was all her fault. Tears flowing freely, she leaned forward and buried her face in his chest, muffled sobs echoing throughout the room. 

_I'm so sorry, Ivan..._

Her sobbing abruptly ceased as another sound reached her ears. Opening her eyes and pulling him closer, she pressed her ear to his chest. 

A heartbeat. 

Sheba nearly dropped Ivan in her haste to open her pack. He was alive! That meant she could do something... she could save him! Rummaging deeper through her supplies, she felt for the smooth, cold glass of a bottle. Instead, Sheba gasped and drew her hand away as something sharp pierced her skin. She stared disbelievingly at her cut finger. 

A shard of glass mocked her, plastered to her skin by a shimmering, golden liquid. The cut sealed over even as she watched. It couldn't be, could it? Helplessness seized her again. She had packed more than one bottle, she knew she had. They couldn't all have broken. Ignoring the sharp edges that nipped at her fingers, Sheba finally closed her hand around smooth, unbroken glass. Relief washed over her as she laid eyes on the precious medicine. 

She had the bottle at Ivan's lips when the logical part of her brain took over. He had been hit by the beam. Water of Life wouldn't do anything for him. She desperately wanted to believe it wasn't true, yet she knew it was. 

It took all of Sheba's willpower to close the bottle and stand, etching Ivan's location into her mind. Where were Felix and Isaac? It would have to be one of them - she only had one bottle, and they were the ones who could use Revive. She couldn't rely on the Djinn after a battle like this one. 

Digging frantically in the nearest pile of stone, Sheba searched for any sign of her friends. The faster everyone was conscious, the faster they could get help for Ivan. He _would_ make it. He had to. 

Pushing a particularly heavy stone out of the way, she caught sight of Isaac's golden locks. Hope sparked within her. As she pulled more rocks from the pile, the Venus Adept began to emerge, out cold and looking very beaten. Seizing him as tightly as she could without causing further injury, Sheba pulled with all her might, freeing him from the debris. 

Uncapping the bottle again, she tipped the contents into Isaac's mouth, praying that it would work quickly. Sure enough, his sapphire eyes opened after a few moments. 

"Sheba?" Isaac quickly sat up, winced, and gingerly lowered himself back onto one elbow. "What happened?" Realization, then worry dawned in his eyes. "Ivan... did he..." 

"He was hit," she replied shortly, turning away. "But... he's alive. We need to find the others quickly." Looking back toward Isaac, she saw pain and sorrow in his face. A golden glow briefly surrounded him before he stood, face shadowed. 

"Do you think... he'll make it?" Isaac's voice was barely above a whisper. It was so unlike him that Sheba had to swallow tears. Isaac had always been the strong one, and now he was asking for reassurance. 

She only wished she could give it to him. 

"I don't know," Sheba responded, voice breaking. "I don't know." Wordlessly, Isaac nodded and began to search the cave for the others. 

Sheba squinted into the darkness, again searching for the other Adepts. She had had little success, and was about to go find Isaac when she caught a flash of blue in the corner of her eye. Getting closer, she nearly tripped over Mia, who was sprawled out on the floor, dress stained and aqua hair mussed. She bit her lip and called Isaac over. 

Time passed agonizingly slowly, but soon most of the group was assembled. Picard and Jenna were helping Isaac find Felix, while Sheba sat in silence with Garet and Mia. She had quickly returned to Ivan, and stayed close to him, afraid, for some reason, to leave him alone. She had quickly found a Potion for him in her pack. Now, cradling him protectively, she monitored the slow rise and fall of his chest. Garet and Mia's faces held expressions similar to hers as they gazed mournfully at their friend. The same worried thoughts teased at all of them. 

The two Venus Adepts drifted over to them, followed by Picard and Jenna. "Is it really that serious?" Felix murmured, studying Ivan with worried eyes. Sheba glared. _Of _course_ it is!_ her mind screamed. 

Felix stepped back, alarm showing in his face. "Well, we'd better hurry up, then. Come on, everyone..." 

Garet scooped up Ivan, a vacant expression in his features, and trudged over to Felix. Mia noiselessly followed, casting a quick Ply on Sheba as she went. When everyone was within the Venus Adept's range, he raised a hand and whispered, "Retreat." 

Nothing happened. 

Frowning, Felix tried again, with no result. "The monster must have put some kind of barrier on the cave," he announced. "Maybe to protect itself... we'll have to walk." Despite his calm words, fear shone in his eyes, as well as everyone else's. Sheba stared at Ivan's lifeless form, cold growing in her chest. Time was too precious - they would never be able to get him to a healer. 

_A healer wouldn't be able to help anyway_, the voice in her mind proclaimed. 

Through her silent tears, Sheba told it to be quiet. 

***

Sheba's heart pounded as she held Ivan tightly against her. _Don't look down; don't look down._ Normally she didn't mind heights, but an endless black pit was a bit different. As she concentrated, her Psyenergy pulsed at her feet one more time before she dropped, hard, back onto solid ground. Stumbling slightly, she steadied herself and carefully lowered Ivan to the floor. His breathing was painfully shallow, and his cheeks had lost color. They had to get him out fast. 

Reluctantly leaving Ivan where he lay, Sheba clutched the Hover Jade and turned back toward her friends on the other side of the gap. She launched herself into the air with firm determination. 

Drifting away, she glanced back over her shoulder. He looked so alone... 

When everyone had crossed the gap, Sheba pulled Ivan off of the floor and listened. There was the heartbeat, but she could barely hear his breathing at all. Garet slowly took Ivan from her. 

"Run," she whispered. 

***

The group broke suddenly into the sunlight, and were nearly blinded. As they regained their vision, they faced the sudden truth; no one was here. Vale, along with its sanctum, had been evacuated. They were at least an hour from Vault, even running - even with Coal or Zephyr. There was no way Ivan would make it. 

"Sheba..." Mia turned toward her, sorrow in her face. "You have to try to save him." 

Sheba stared. "I...I can't!" she protested, voice rising shrilly. "Not on my own! You saw what happened last time - I can't do it! I can't... I..." She felt panic rising in her as the truth hammered at her. He wasn't going to make it... 

Ivan was going to die. 

Suddenly, Jenna grabbed the younger girl by the shoulders. "Sheba, you have to try! You're the only chance he has." Desperation shone in her eyes. "He sacrificed himself - he _risked his life_ - to protect you. And he's going to lose it if you don't do something." 

Sheba stared into Jenna's face for a moment, then slowly stepped back and looked around at her friends. 

"She's right," said a voice. Breaking their circle, the Adepts turned to face the sound. 

"Kraden?!" chorused several voices. 

"I have been scrutinizing the situation for some time now, and I believe that -" 

"How did you get here?" Garet blurted incredulously. 

"I... well, I followed you," the sage admitted, scholarly expression wavering for a moment. "But that is not important now. Sheba, you must do as Mia and Jenna say and help your friend out of this disastrous state." 

Sheba shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Her head was spinning. Looking around once more, her face set determinately. 

"All right. I... I'll try." 

"Excellent! This only goes to show that..." The scholar continued chattering, despite the grave situation they were in. Sheba shut his irritating voice out of her mind as she watched Garet carefully set Ivan down against the side of the small cliff they had exited from. Kneeling beside him, she gazed down at his motionless form. 

This had better work. 

She closed her eyes, then hesitated and reached for his hand. Holding it firmly between both of hers, she took a deep breath and threw herself into the spell. 

The familiar heavy fog settled over her as she entered Ivan's mind. It was even worse here than it had been last time. Panic returned. Would she really be able to save him? 

The blackness was everywhere. Ivan's familiar aura was just barely distinguishable from the heavy darkness. Sheba slowly looked around her. The fog was even dampening her own Psyenergetic aura, its sparkle fading. 

Sparkle? 

Staring at her own form in disbelief, she saw that the bright violet aura that usually surrounded her during the spell looked very different. It had taken on a lighter hue than usual, and was shimmering with a suppressed sparkle that it had never had before. 

Looking behind her, where the aura was stronger, she saw a strange shape in the area around her back. Focusing on it, it looked almost like wings were protruding from between her shoulder blades. She experimented a bit, and they spread, shimmering within the darkness. 

Sheba was snapped back to the situation at hand when the fog began to close in on her. This was a mystery indeed, but it would have to wait. The question she really had to deal with was one of survival. 

Pushing her Psyenergy outward, she fought the darkness as she had before, but it wasn't enough. She continued to focus, even as she felt herself being pulled inward, losing concentration. Would she make it? 

_I will make it_, she told herself. _I have to. Ivan's life is at stake here, and... _

I love him. 

For a moment, a part of her was shocked at her own thoughts. But she soon dismissed the feeling. Of course she loved him. True, she had never used those words, but the feeling had always been there. It had always been the same. 

Sheba smiled and let the emotion wash over her. As she battled the dark, her Psyenergy suddenly felt stronger. She thrust out with it, and watched in awe as it spread around her, bringing light back into the scene. 

Her strange aura pulsed, and without really thinking about it, she spread her wings and rose. Throwing her arms wide, she sent light lavender luster into every corner of Ivan's mind, joy escalating as she felt his aura returning. The last of the fog faded, and Sheba dazedly watched as the mental activity around her sped up, bringing life back. 

She lingered for a moment before slipping out of the spell. 

Vale reappeared around her, and Sheba found herself kneeling again in front of Ivan, his hand still clutched in hers. She looked into his face with growing suspense. Had it worked? 

His eyes opened. 

He smiled, his gentle smile that she knew so well. "Sheba..." 

"Ivan..." she murmured, eyes filling as she took him in, "You're..." Abandoning words, she fell forward and held him as tightly as she could, joyful tears spilling over. She had done it, he was alive! 

Suddenly, she pulled away and looked at him. "Ivan," she said meaningfully, "I love you." 

His smile grew, and he pulled her closer. Their lips brushed, and Sheba gasped quietly as emotion burst between them. Deepening the kiss, she ran her fingers through his hair, heart singing. "Love you too," he murmured in her ear as he gently pulled away. 

Sheba slowly stood, helping Ivan up. She still held his hand. With a broad smile on her face, she turned toward the others, who showed varying degrees of surprise. Garet looked stunned, but Mia only smiled. 

"I see you did it," she said. 

"Yes," Sheba replied slowly, "but... I don't quite know how." 

"Ah, but I do," Kraden beamed. 

Sheba raised her eyebrows. 

"It's quite simple, really. You were in Ivan's mind, and that greatly affected your powers. He believes in you. In fact, if I am quite correct, he would trust you with his life. You appeared in his mind as he thinks of you, and you were capable of doing anything he believed you could do." 

The scholar stopped to catch his breath, taking in the rather confused expressions on the other's faces with a look of satisfaction. "In other words, it was love. Love and trust. The powers of emotion." 

Garet shook his head. "I won't even ask how you knew all that. But now that our group is whole again," he said, looking meaningfully at Ivan, "back to Vault?" 

"Indeed," Picard mused. "It seems we have survived again." 

The eight Adepts began to wander back through Vale, Ivan and Sheba holding hands in the center of the group. 

Kraden scurried to catch up, smiling to himself. 

"Ah, to be young again..." 

***

The two Jupiter Adepts lay together on the roof of Vault's inn, sunlight dappling them as it filtered through the trees overhead. Ivan stroked Sheba's hair, and she smiled up at him drowsily before resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. 

Ivan sighed contentedly, looking up at the sky. It was beginning to turn a beautiful rose color as the sun set over the rooftops of Vault, the few clouds above drifting lazily past. 

He had once heard the people of Lalivero call Sheba the child of Jupiter. He had considered the idea at the time, but now he knew they had it wrong. Ivan smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep. 

Sheba was Jupiter's angel. 

_-The End-_

So? So? Did'ja like it? I had a lot of fun writing it, let me tell you. ^_^ The accents the mac puts in didn't transfer to ff.net right, so I couldn't make deja vu look all fancy, but... oh well. And I just couldn't resist that little fluffy scene at the end. I don't think I'll ever get tired of romance... ^.^ 

Anyway, I hoped you're all satisfied with that! Thanks to everyone who read or reviewed, or who will. I've chased Lull off so she can't dampen my victory. ^^ I'm a little reluctant to end this, I'll admit, but this is what I planned it out to be from the very beginning. I don't know what I'll write next (I'm open to suggestions ^^), but I'll hope to see you all then! 

Review, and so long! 


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